Thursday, June 12, 2008

From Bush in Italy to Gospel Music...

From American Progress:

Think Fast...

As Bush arrived in Italy yesterday for meetings with Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi and Pope Benedict XVI, he was greeted by hundreds of anti-war activists and other demonstrators who marched through the capital. The AP writes that these protests show "anti-Bush sentiment over the war in Iraq still lingers."

A new WSJ/NBC poll finds that, increasingly, voters don't like President Bush personally. "By 60% to 30%, they have negative views of him, his worst showing ever." By a majority of 54 percent to 42 percent, "voters say they'd prefer a president 'who will bring greater changes' over one who is ‘more experienced and tested.'"

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) "said he's not going to let his effort to impeach President Bush die a quiet death in committee. He said Wednesday that he'll bring his resolution back in 30 days if the Judiciary Committee...doesn't act on it." "In 30 days, I'll be joined by many more" members, he said.

"As Bush travels across Europe to gain support for possible new sanctions against Iran, Israeli leaders have been working to lay the psychological foundation for a possible military strike if diplomacy falters. In public threats and private briefings with American decision-makers, Israeli officials have been making the case that a military strike may be the only way to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions."

Sens. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) are expected to introduce legislation today that would close "loopholes that lobbyists for foreign clients sometimes use to keep their activities under wraps." The bill would "require those who meet with American officials outside the country on behalf of foreign politicians to register as lobbyists, a step that existing law does not require."

A CNN investigation has found "FEMA gave away about $85 million in household goods meant for Hurricane Katrina victims." FEMA said, "We determined that they were excess to FEMA's needs; therefore, they are being excessed from FEMA's inventory." But Martha Kegel, the head of a New Orleans nonprofit agency, responded, "These are the very things that we are seeking right now.""The financial credit crisis is squeezing student loan programs that offer breaks to borrowers who enter critical fields such as nursing and teaching," as state-backed lenders in at least six states "have dropped or scaled back programs."

And finally: June seems to be music month on Capitol Hill. On Monday, the House passed legislation honoring recently deceased blues legend Bo Diddley. On Tuesday, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) "introduced a resolution to make September 'Gospel Music Heritage Month,'" and Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) proposed "a bill honoring country singer Toby Keith's commitment to the armed forces. "Although the troops have been hearing his hit 'I Love this Bar,' our office is so proud of our hometown hero that we hope he’ll be singing, 'I love this bill,'" Cole's spokeswoman said.